Improvement in wooden boxes



W. P. coBURN.

WOODEN Box., l

raaented July 1o, 1877.

UNITED TA'rEs WILLIAM P. GOBRN, OF WINOHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

iMPRovEMEN-r m woooEN Boxes.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,815, dated July 10, 1877 application led June 18, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

of Winchester, in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,.clear, and exact `description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box constructed in accordance with my said invention, with part of the cover or lid broken off. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section i' the same. The object I have in view is to reduce the cost of manufacturing boxes by dispensing with many of the operations and manipulationspincidental to the production of wooden boxes, to avoid waste in the material, and, if possible, at the same time, to improve the character, style, form, and generally the quality of manufacture, and in particular so far asthe same relates to permanency of shape-that is to say, the production of a wooden box which, while cheaply made, shall be strong, durable,

` well finished, not liable to warp or bulge', on otherwise get out of shape, as is but too comi' mon with most wooden boxes of whatever mode of construction.

The manner in which I have attained the object I have in view is as follows: I use for the body or sides a thin board, A, of a length little more than twice the length and once the width, or twice the width and once the length, and of a width equal to the height of the intended box. This board is scored by cutting transversely toits length a rectangular Vshaped groove, as shown in Fig. 3 in cross-section, care being taken that the liber of the wood runs lengthwise, so that the board, when bent so as to close the V-shaped score, may be bent along said score-line, at right angles, without liability of severing the parts. The scores are so formed on lines corresponding with the four angles or corners in the body of the box. The length of the board, which, as before said, is more than that of three contiguous sides ot' the box, will, therefore, have a small length in excess on either end, which is the teuon end, and which is fitted into the corresponding grooves in the fourth side. This side B, which may be a short or a long side ofthe box,

is made of aboard of sufticient thickness to have cut into it along its ends contiguous to the other sides, and through its thickness, a groove. The two pieces are united by applying glue to either of the parts to be united,

and by insertion of the tenons into its mortises or grooves, as, shown at a in Figsl 1 and 4. In order to produce a nice finish I prefer to make the thick and grooved end piece slightly or so much wider on the exterior than on the: interior as to become flush with the surface of the contiguous sides made `of the board.

The body of the box thus made is secured tothe bottom piece G, which 'consists of a board of a thickness to admit of being grooved on the face. Four such grooves of widths to receive the thickness of the boards'composing the body of the box are cut, and the body is applied and set into and held in the groove by previously being glued.

The top D of the box issimilarly formed; but, being removable, it is set and held by the upper end or edges ot' the body, fitting into corresponding grooves eut into the under face of the cover or top.

A boxl thus constructed will have aneat finish, sharp and well-dened corners, flanged on top and bottom. It is obvious, however, that the construction, and consequently appearance, of the box may be varied Without departure from my invention. Thus, instead of one side of the body being made of thick board, two opposite sides may be so made, and the two thin sides would then be both tenoned into the two thick end pieces. Again, the bottom and top of the box need not form all around the body a flange; but the flange may, as shown in the drawing, only extend around the sides of the box, which are formed of thin boards, and the thick side may be fitted depending on cost of material and labor, it

the holding of the glued parts bymeans of V vises or other instrnmentalities is entirely dispensed with. The several parts are simply put together, and theyremain so: without aux-` iliary means, as there is no tendency to bef.

come detached.

Second, neatness of appearance. The box is perfectly shaped, with flangeson` top and bottom.Y They may be covered with paper, or paintedorvarnished, or otherwise ornamented.

Third, strengthy and durability'.v Although for cheap, boxes this is hardly expected, yet boxesmadein accordancek with my invention possess-these properties to. a. greatv extent, as tendencyy (it' there be any) to` warp or other- Wise tofget out of shape, is withstood by the interlocking of parts.

Having thus described` the said invention,

and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what Iclaim, and= desire to secure. by Letters Patent, is-

1. A box the body of which is composed of scored and bent boards, the endsof Which-are secured in separate grooved boards, as set forth.

2. The combination constituting abox composed of scored and bent and grooved boards,

las described, With top and bottom pieces grooved for the reception of the edge of said body, as shown and described,

3. The box-body composed of thin scored and bent pieces of. board, the bent ends of Which areembedd'ed and glued into the grooves of separate pieces, constituting one or more sides of the body, substantially as shown and set forth.,

4. In combination with the body composed of thin and thick pieces, united as described,

the grooved bottom piece to confine and hold, by means of glue, the. edges: of the body.as set forth.

5. TheA combination, with a body made as described, and unitedwith.h the bottom, as shown and set forth, of a removable top, grooved to confine, when applied, the edges ot' the, body ofl the, box,v Whether said top4 be or not hiugedto the body, as shown and .describedf...

In testimony Whereot' I have hereuntosgued my; name` this; 14th day of June, A. D. 1817.

WM. P. GOBURN.

Witnesses.:

F. R. PETERS, WILLIAM H. GUERNSEY. 

